JoyBox Studios today announced it has secured a seed capital investment of $1.1 million from Gary Community Investments, which includes Gary Community Investment Company and The Piton Foundation. The capital will be used to finance JoyBox’s initial product launch in April 2016, and to pursue its creation of a revolutionary, research-based, early childhood “curriculum” system for new parents.

JoyBox was formed in 2015 to pursue a lofty goal: Make parents smarter, make babies happier, and better prepare toddlers for preschool.

“Today’s generation of mobile parents lives in a world so different from the one in which I raised my kids,” said Julie Clark, creator of Baby Einstein and co-founder of JoyBox. “But one thing remains the same. Parents are every child’s first, and most important, teacher. I’m proud of what I created with Baby Einstein in 1998, but my options were limited 17 years ago. Today, coupling mobile technology with growing research-based insights into healthy child development represents an irresistible, game-changing opportunity.”

Gary Community Investments, which was founded by Denver oilman Sam Gary, invests in for-profit and philanthropic solutions for Colorado’s low-income children and their families. The organization leverages a full spectrum of financial tools including philanthropic, near-market and market-rate capital, to help address the issues facing low-income children and their families. JoyBox’s vision of a suite of resources designed to produce better parenting outcomes aligns with Gary Community Investments’ mission of improving the lives of all children and families in Colorado.

“Through our investment in JoyBox, we’re supporting both a physical and a tech-based solution that has the potential to reach families with diverse income levels,” said Luis Duarte, Investment Director at Gary Community Investments. “We’ve provided seed capital to enable JoyBox to work closely with Colorado’s early childhood academic and policy sectors, continue to develop its digital and physical products, and begin gaining revenue traction.”

JoyBox is building partnerships with leading investors, NGOs and academic institutions committed to improving outcomes during the critical first three years of life.

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About Gary Community Investments
Gary Community Investments, which includes The Piton Foundation, invests in for-profit and philanthropic solutions for Colorado’s low-income children and their families. It was founded by Denver oilman Sam Gary with the belief that business and philanthropy can—and should—work together to create opportunities for those who need it most. Gary Community Investments is committed to investing in quality early childhood and youth development systems, expanding sustainable economic opportunities, and developing and supporting programs that create healthy family and community environments. By aligning all of its assets with its mission, Gary Community Investments makes creative investments that not only yield a financial return, but can also improve the lives of Colorado’s children.

About JoyBox Studios
Founded by the creators of the iconic, award-winning Baby Einstein™ brand, JoyBox Studios is dedicated to leveraging research-based insights into child development and mobile technology to provide new parents with unprecedented tools and resources. The Company is preparing to launch weeSchool™, an early childhood curriculum consisting of apps, activities, toys, music, videos, flash cards and books. Parents are every child’s first, and most important, teacher. weeSchool will empower parents to be the best teachers they can be, to improve developmental outcomes of babies and toddlers, and to bring countless moments of joy to the entire family.